Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Today marks the one-month anniversary of the brutal Hamas attack on Israel in which 1,400 people were killed, 1,000 were injured and at least 243 people were kidnapped. We now know an Irish-Israeli girl, eight-year-old Emily Hand, is among those who were kidnapped. I know everyone in this House is hoping for Emily's safe return and the safe and swift return of all hostages.

Israel has a right to defend itself from attack but what is happening in Gaza is not a defence; it is an annihilation. The entire strip is being reduced to death and dust. The scale of the devastation is unprecedented. Nowhere is safe. UN schools, hospitals, media centres, bakeries and residential buildings have all been deliberately targeted by Israeli missiles. More than 10,000 people have been killed in just a month, including more than 4,000 children, 89 UN workers and 39 journalists. Some 1.5 million people have been displaced. More than 2 million people are being denied the essentials to sustain life - food, water and fuel.

The ambivalent response of the international community to this litany of war crimes is shameful. The UN Security Council is toothless, the UN General Assembly is powerless and the EU is rudderless. Ireland is one of only a small number of countries in the West which has even condemned Israel's multiple breaches of international law. Words of condemnation are important but they are not enough. Words must be followed by action. In this country, enacting the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill is now a matter of urgency. The EU must also act. It is Israel's largest trading partner, with trade between the two amounting to more than €46 billion. Trade is governed by the EU-Israel Association Agreement, which has an essential elements human rights clause in it. This means that either side can unilaterally suspend the agreement in response to serious breaches of human rights. If Israel's destruction in Gaza is not sufficient to trigger that clause now, then nothing ever will be. Israel is also a participant in Horizon Europe, where Israeli institutions can apply for funding under this €95 billion research and innovation scheme. Access to that lucrative programme should also be immediately suspended.

The Taoiseach has publicly stated that Israel is breaching international law. This is not just a violation of its human rights obligations; it is a clear contravention of its trade deal with the EU. There must be consequences for that. I have three questions. Does the Taoiseach agree that the EU's trade deal with Israel should be suspended until Israel complies with international law? Does he agree that Israel's participation in Horizon Europe should also be suspended on similar terms? Will he enact the Illegal Israeli Settlements Divestment Bill as a matter of urgency?

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